Cigarette-packing machine



March 24, 1925.

' w. E. MOLINS CIGARETTE PACKING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet l- .Filed March19, 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet n L w I m Z m on :[D u M .i li g h R I. I R w ZJh s :1 1 "n h March 24, 1925. I

E. MOLINS CIGARETTE PACKING MACHINE Filed March '19, 1923 MN iL iLv@iiif:

March 24; 1925- f 1,531,210

W. MOLINS CIGARETTE PACKING MACHINE Filed March 19, 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet3 Patented Mar. 24, 1925..

PATENT o F ICE. I

wanna :nmnrr norms; or ronnou, ENGLAND.

CIGARETTE-PACKING MACHINE.

Application filed March 19, 1 2a Serial 110, 26,188.

To all it v mm.-

Be it known that LYWALTER EVERETT MoL Ns, a citizen of f'the UnitedStates, of

America residing in London,\ England, have invented certaln' newandfluseful Improvements 1n C1garette Pack1ng Machines,

} ofwhich the following is a specification.

jThis invention relates to cigarette packing machinesand has for itsobject'to provide such' machinesflwithfmeans, for comfpressing a bunchof cigarettes in such a I manner that they may bepacked tightly outbeing damaged ordistortedf v Q a The invention is particularly but notexclusively applicable for use with cigarette and snugly into a wrapperor packagewithpacking and wrapping apparatus such as is described in thespecifications of United States Letters" Patent No. 1,188,193 a d1,468,246;

' According'to the invention, each bunch of, cigarettes on its passageto the wrap- "ping or like mechanism is passed -intoma compression box Icomprising iopposit'e relatively movable sides a and a rigid top andbottom. said box moving'with the cigarettes.

The arrangementr is such that asthe ciga-V rettes pass into the box, the"sides (move so i as to Ycompressthe bunchIQfThe advancing or leadingend of the box is" shaped .as

to enterfthe w rappingor like mechanism and to protect the cigarettesduring, the wrapping or likeoperation, and to assist the accurateoperationof said mechanism; f

Toenable the'invention tobe fully under stood it will now, be describedbyre-ference to the accompanying drawings in which the invention isshewn asapplied toa cigarette v packing machine ofithe type'shewn in theUnited ,States specification No. 1,188,193 fitted with awrappingil'apparatus ofthe shewn in the condingu application a vereferred to. f I

a In the drawings Fig. 1 isa plan view of the machineffwith the wra pingm terial feeding and cutting devices removed,' W7 'Y a Fig. 2 is asectionon line IIII,, Fig. 1

the wrapping l naterial" feeding and cutting devices also be ng shown,

s Fig 3 is a part section amine 11i1 '1n,

ig: 4 is a view e'of a detail, 4 v 'Fig. ,5 is a section onfline V, ;V,Fig. 2,

mg of the apparatus;

rows, one row being delivered to the ma chinebed 1 and the top row beingswept off a bridge 30 by a sweeper 31.

The machine bed 1 is provided with a slot 2 in which conveyor plates 3travel, the

bunches being formed front ofthe conveyor-platesfi I v Atransverse slot4: is formed in the bed for the passage of the wrapping material a andas shown in Fig. 2, the wrapping mechanism comprises a folding box 5,folders 6, a'guard 7 and a knife 31. The wrapping material a is drawnfrom a reel 6 byfeed rollers 6- 7 adapted to be rotated continuously andpasses through guides 8 through the slot 4. The roller 6 is mounted on aspindle 20 having a bevel wheel 21 gearing with a bevel wheel 22'carried on a vertical spindle 23.

The wheel 22 is driven by a bevel wheel 24' carried on a spindle 25mounted in the sleeve17 and adapted to be continuously suitable.

the cigarettes thus meet the strip a the latter .is severed at a pointjust below the guides 8 by a knife 31 actuated in the following manner.p

The blade 31 is mounted on a spindle 32' pivotally carried .in a sleeve33 which is clampedupon the spindle 23 by an arm 34 secured by bolt 35,so that the sleeve is carried roundas the spindle rotates. The

spindle 32' has a coiled spring 36 on its lower end, one end of which issecured to the cap 37 screwed on the spindle, the other end. beingattached tothe sleeve 33. A

fixed stop 38' is arranged in the path of the knife and the latter has athickened portion 39 adapted to meet the stop. "As the spindle 23continues to rotate, the stop :38 Ypre$ing on the porti0n39' detains theknife, forcing it backuntil the portion39'.

slips therefrom. During this operation the spring 36: has beencompressed and on the knife leaving the stop, the spring exerts i re?e951 thaws the knife rap ly tl'latther'e is no appreciable variation'inthe continuous feed of the material.

Further description of'jthe wrapping and 6 cutting mechanism will befound in the specification of United States Patent No.

1,468,246, to which reference may be had.

The cigarettes are'moved' in bunches by the plates 3 through guides-9.In the machine illustrated the bottom row of each bunch of cigarettescontains one cigarette less than the top row. To compensate for this,the guides 9 are provided with filling strips 10 at their lower sides asshewn in 1 Fig. 5.

The con'ipressing, apparatus consists of a box having a top plate 11mounted on blocks 12, secured by clamps '13, said clamps being soarranged that they can be swung out of position to free the top plate.The

blocks 12are bevelled at one endso that the bevelled faces form acontinuation of the inner surfaces of the guides 9.

The sides of the box are formed by C0111- pressor members 14. carried onlinks 15,16.

The inner faces of the members 14' may be shaped as shewn in Fig. 3 toavoid distortion of the outer cigarettes of a bunch and the conveyorplates 3 may also if desired,

be shaped to conform to the shape of the members 14. V

The links 15, 16. are pivoted to the meniber's 14 by pins 17 at one endandat the other end, the links 15 are connected to bevelled pins 18 and.the links 16 to spring pins 19, the pins 18, 19 being mounted inbrackets 20 on. the machine bed.

' The brackets 20 also serve to carry a spindle 21, mounted transverselyof themachine andhaving a cam 22 at its centre and four bevel segments23 positioned assheavi'i in Fig. 1. The spindle 21 is rotated bysuitable gearing from the main drive of the machine andeach segment 23is formed as shewn in Fig. 8.

These segments 23 are similar to an. ordinary bevel wheel in appearancebut are formed without teeth and with an inter- ,rupted conical,surface.

A portion 27 of the conicalsurface is the actual working surface, theremaining surface 28' correspondingto the root cone of a bevel wheel andnot being utilized for driving.

The heads of the bevel pins 18 Fig. 9) are of, similar constructionexcept that a larger portion of the conical. surface is utilized as aworking surface.

One of. the spring pins 19 is shewn in 60 4, the torsion spring 29assisting the operationof'the bevel gear during reverse movements of thelinks. r

On the. upper, side of the top plate 11 adepresser'plate 25 is pivotedbetween 25 and flap" maybe dispensed with if desired.

The face of the foil guard 7 of the wrapping mechanism is curved at 7 asshewn to givet-he foil a curve similar to that which it will take whenfolding commences and aguide 26 attached to plate 11 ensures thatthefoil enters the slot 41- The operation of the above describedapparatus is as follows I A bunch of cigarettes A is carried through theguides 9 bythe conveyorplate 3 andv reaches the position shewn in fulllines F ig ..,6. Immediately the links 15 start to move by reason of theworking faces of the bevel segments 23 engagingithe bevel pins 18 thecompressing members 14move inwards and also in the direction of motionof the cigarettes, the speed of the members in the direction Bbeingequal to that of the cigarettes so that no rubbing action takesplace. i i

The cigarettesare thus compressed and after passing. the point ofmaximum compression shewn by the dottedlines 50 (Fig. 6) the members 14open out just enough to. allow the cigarettes and. conveyor piece 3 topass along. This inward and outward movement of eachcompressing member14 is caused the corresponding bevel pin 18 being alternately drilvenbyits pair of bevelled segments 23. As spindle 21 rotates continuously inone directiomit will be seen that'one of the segments 23 rotates thebevel pin 18 until the working faces of the bevels disengage. The plate14 remains stationary for a short time whilethe working faces of the pinand the first segment are disengaged and then the other segment engagesthe bevel pin on its other flank and rotates the pin in the oppositedirection, causing the plate 14 to be returned to itsoriginal position.

The working conical surface. of each bevel segment extends for90 andeach pair of segments is-mounted so that the angular distance betweentheir working surfacesvis as indicated by the dotted lines Fig. 8.

The working-conical surface of eachpin 18 extends for 1709 as shewn inFig. 9.

The outlet from the compressingi'members 14 may be a mouthpiece throughwhich the bunch of cigarettes is passed into a the folding operationbeing as described in United States Patent No.'1,468,246.

In Fig; 6 the members 14 are shewn in their final position by the chainlines C;

It will be understood. that the action of the machine is continuous andthat the sides ofthe compression box are moved to comrettes areintroduced directly into a slide or packet without being previouslywrapped.

In the machine illustrated, to assist the accurate operation of thefolding or wrapping mechanism the wrapping material may bepassed throughthe creasing mechanism described in the specification of co-pendingapplication for United'States Letters Patent Serial'No. 626,187.

Having thus described the nature of the said invention and the bestmeans I know of carrying the same into practical effect,

1. Apparatus for use in cigarette packing machines for compressingmoving cigarettes comprising a box having movable sides mechanicallyoperated to compress the cigarettes as they are carried through said boxcontinuously, without interfering with the continuous passage of thecigarettes.

2. Apparatus for use in cigarette packing machines for compressingmoving cigarettes comprising a box having movable sides automaticallyoperated to move inwards to compress the cigarettes and outwards torelease same and also to move in the same direction as the cigarettes.

3. Apparatus for us'e'in-cigarette packing machines for compressingmoving cigarettes comprising in combination, a machine bed,

means for moving bundles of cigarettes along the machine bedcontinuously, a top plate arranged above the bed, movable side platescooperating with the top plate, to compress cigare tes andmean fo mo g hde plates inwards and outwards and in the same direction as thecigarettes.

4-. Apparatus for use in cigarettepacking machines for compressingmoving cigarettes comprising in combination, a machine bed, means formoving bundles of cigarettes along the bed continuously, a top platearranged above the bed, movable side plates co-operating with the topplate to compress cigarettes. parallel links pivoted to the machine andto the side plates and means for operating the links to move the sideplates.

5. Apparatus for use in cigarette packing machines for compressingmoving cigarettes comprising in combination, a machine bed, means formoving bundles of cigarettes along the bed continuously, a top platearranged above the bed, movable side plates co-operating with the topplate to compress cigarettes, a pair of parallel links pivoted to themachine and to one side plate, a pair of parallel links pivoted to themachine and to the other side plate, bevelled pins on the links, arotary spindle mounted transversely of the bed and bevel segments on thespindle co-operating with the bevelled pins on the links.

' 6. Apparatus for use in cigarette packing machines for compressingmoving cigarettes comprising in combination, a machine bed, means formoving bundles of cigarettes along the machine bed continuously, meansfor wrapping said bundles, means for feeding wrapping material, a topplate arranged above the bed, movable side plates co-operating with thetop plate to compress the cigarettes, means for moving the side platesinwards and outwards and in the same direction as the cigarettes, afolder box for receiving the cigarettes after compression,

and shaped ends on the movable side plates adapted to enter the folderto assist in folding wrapping material around the cigarettes.

7. Apparatus for use in cigarette packing machines for compressingmoving cigarettes comprising in combination, a machine bed, means formoving bundles of cigarettes along the machine bed continuously, atopplate arranged above the bed, movable side plates cooperating with thetop plate to compress cigarettes, means for moving the side platesinwards and outwards and in the same direction as the cigarettes afolder box for receiving the cigarettes after compression,

means for feeding a wrapping strip across the path of the cigarettesbetween the folder box and the movable side plates and shaped ends onthe movable side plates adapted to enter the folder box to assist infolding the wrapping material around the cigarettes.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

- WALTER EVERETT MOLINSF

